4 New Specialty Dessert Shops In The Tri-State Area

It’s not just about cupcakes anymore. Trendy, innovative and one-of-a-kind bake shops are all the rage these days, and a slew of them have been opening in New York City and the Tri-State area lately. Here’s a closer look at four of them. By Yvo Sin.

Dolce Vizio

Dolce Vizio has one focus: Tiramisu, in every permutation possible. That’s right, the store is dedicated to the celebration of tiramisu, offering such delights as classic (of course), limoncello (with lemon zest and limoncello liquor), raspberry, orange espresso, Nutella, mango, and many more. Even better? The option to design your own, from choosing what to soak the ladyfingers in (chocolate sauce, citrus sauce, or mint syrup), to what to top it with (ten different choices). This is the country’s first tiramisu-only dessert bar. If you love the stuff, Dolce Vizio is mecca, and she’s calling to you.

By the Way Bakery

North of New York City near the Hastings-On-Hudson Metronorth train station lies a haven for gluten-free commuters and allergy-free consumers alike. By The Way Bakery is where old fashioned bakery meets new trend innovation: classic pastries, except gluten-free, wheat-free, and lactose-free. That’s not to say they’re taste-free though – quite the opposite. Each small batch is made by hand from scratch, and you’d be hard pressed to tell the difference between these and dairy-laden goodies. We’re not the only ones raving about them, either. By The Way has already received outstanding reviews from the New York Times and Westchester magazine.

Spot Dessert Bar

Open a little more than a year, Spot Dessert Bar sits on St. Mark’s Place among all the Japanese restaurants and invites you into its cozy space as the perfect end to a perfect date. Once inside, you’ll pore over the menu of treats – all with an Asian twist. Check the seasonal dessert tapas menu – many of the items rotate throughout the year, but easily one of the most popular is the yuzu eskimo, with blackberry, raspberry, Oreo and chocolate coming out to play. Another popular choice is the white miso semifreddo (pictured): served with an olive oil cake, almond, raspberry sorbet, the white miso makes a surprisingly delicious creamy counterpart to the olive oil cake. Bonus: they offer Thai tea, both cold and hot.

Maison Ladurée

Long lauded as offering the best macarons in the world, French institution Maison Ladurée is now opening a highly anticipated location in New York City’s Upper East Side. Rightfully so they should make the best macarons: Pierre Desfontaines of Ladurée is also credited with inventing them the way they are known today: a sandwich cookie, two delicate shells framing a jam, buttercream or ganache center. Of course, they also offer a wide assortment of other fantastic pastries, guaranteed to make your eyes roll back in your head and make you moan, though they are easily the most famous for selling 15,000 of their macarons daily. Expect long lines when you visit: the grand opening is set for August 22nd, but macaron-crazed fans are already eyeing spots to camp out to be the first inside.